It appears that Michigan lost a little more than just the game against Ohio State.

ESPN has learned that Michigan coach Lloyd Carr will hold a 10 a.m. press conference on Monday at which time he is expected to announce his retirement.

Carr led many to believe he would retire after this season when he altered his contract last winter and made sure all of his assistants were given unprecedented, two-year deals in the spring. Speculation has run rampant about 62-year-old coach's future.

"There will be a day to discuss that, and this isn't it," he said Saturday.

With a 14-3 home loss Saturday, Carr became the first coach at Michigan (No. 21 BCS, No. 23 AP) to go 1-7 over a seven-year stretch against No. 7 Ohio State (11-1, 7-1 Big Ten).

Cornerback Morgan Trent said Carr did not address his future before or after the game.

"We'll just have to wait and see like everyone else," Trent said.

Signs have been pointing toward this being the 62-year-old's 13th and final year at the helm for Michigan (8-4, 6-2). Carr altered his contract last December, allowing him to easily make this his final season as coach and still collect deferred compensation. In March, his assistant coaches were given two-year deals to pay them through Feb. 28, 2009, even if they are not coaching at Michigan.

Michigan opened the season ranked fifth in The Associated Press Top 25 but quickly fell out of the national championship discussion. Since becoming head coach in 1995, Carr is 121-40 and 81-23 in the Big Ten. He has won five Big Ten titles, one national title and led the Wolverines to a bowl game every season.

Many others, however, have been talking about his possible successor for months, if not years.

LSU coach Les Miles seems to be at the top of the list because he played for the late Bo Schembechler at Michigan. That is where Miles met his wife, and he was an assistant there under Schembechler.

Even though Miles appears to be in a great situation leading the top-ranked Tigers in a talent-rich area of the country, the school seemed concerned enough about him bolting for Ann Arbor that it put a specific clause in his contract to make it an expensive move.

In the "termination by coach" section of his deal, Michigan is the only other school mentioned. It states that Miles will not seek or accept employment as Michigan's coach. If Miles does leave LSU to coach the Wolverines, he must pay LSU $1.25 million.

IMO, Lloyd Carr should be able to stay as long as he damn well pleases. He won a national championship here. He has never brought shame in the program. Granted, Tressel seems to have his number, but he is still almost even in games against OSU (6-7). He is a good coach who produces successful individuals on and off the field, which is what I think is most important in a coach.

If Lloyd does decide to call it quits, Ron English is my first choice for a replacement. He is a known commodity to recruits and he is a good defensive coach.

_________________Oooh! Aaah! You wish you were a Chippewa!

November 18th, 2007, 3:29 pm

TADOne

Play by Play Announcer - Al Michaels

Joined: April 27th, 2005, 3:26 pmPosts: 1776

Well guys, it's official. I've been sitting here for the last 20 minutes watching the Lloyd Carr press conference announcing his retirement. Class guy and great human. I've had my issues w/ Lloyd over the years, but I'm not going to berate him today. There were a number of articles to choose from, but I picked Mitch Albom's to post. It sums up the man pretty good.

Best of luck in your future Lloyd. You will be missed.

Quote:

BY MITCH ALBOM

FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

He knew the whole time Saturday, knew the moment he took the field, knew the moment he walked off it, knew the moment he came in for his last crowded postgame media session on the campus that he loved for the team he adored. His departure was already set, even if it was still a secret, and as he stood there you'd think all that "last-time-I-do-this" stuff might have rendered him emotional, choked him up, revealed itself in a quivering voice or moistened eyes.

Instead, Lloyd Carr, after the disappointing, season-ending loss to Ohio State, stepped to the podium and said, "Questions?" and the group of reporters was slow to begin, so there was a gap of silence, to which Carr said, "No questions? Thank you" and faked a departure, and everyone laughed.

Then he stepped up and said these two sentences:

"Let's go. It's not that hard."

In the end, it really wasn't that hard. Not to go. Not for Lloyd Carr. He has never been defined by his job and he never will be. When enough is enough, few people will know it better than this introspective, 62-year-old football version of a Jimmy Stewart character. Stewart was always about the good beneath whatever role he played, and Carr was, too. Michigan will lose a whistle today when his retirement, after 28 years at Michigan and 13 seasons as head coach, is made official this morning. But what Carr wore around his neck was never as important as what he carried in his chest.

Say good-bye to the good guy, maybe the last of them. Whoever coaches Michigan next will have to be more about business than Carr was, more about national titles, less about hospital visits, more about recruiting, less about philosophy. It is just the way the world works, and the world has moved quickly on Carr. In recent years, you could see the weariness showing on his face, in his jowls, in his eyes, which became steelier and angrier as the silliness grew in college football.

Remember, this is a guy who started in Ann Arbor in 1980, when ESPN was just a Connecticut cable experiment. In his time, he has seen the Big Ten grow to 11, the Rose Bowl go from Granddaddy to group member, and the goal of college football go from playing on Jan. 1 to playing on Jan. 7.

Carr has been adaptable, but he is not a chameleon. He is not a guy to change his colors. He has been maize and blue and he'll retire maize and blue and he'll be loyal, always, to maize and blue. But it's time, for him, to see the rest of the rainbow.

The pressures of the sport

"I think Lloyd's gonna give it up. I think he's had it."

You know who told me that? Bo Schembechler, several years ago. I never mentioned it. Never told Carr. But clearly, the idea of leaving didn't just flash across Carr's brain. He has considered it before. Remember, he was part of the Schembechler line, but he was not a clone. Bo would have coached until the day he died if the doctors had let him. Lloyd wants to do some living before doctors become an issue. The daily drain of coaching a major football program, the pressure, the alumni, the media, the scrutiny, is like opening a faucet on your life force. Carr has likely had enough.

But let's be clear. This is not about Ohio State. This is not about Jim Tressel. This is not about losing six of the last seven to the Buckeyes. And this is not about this season's 8-4 record.

Carr is above all that. He gets the Big Picture. If he was leaving this year, he was leaving at 8-4, 10-2 or 12-0. If he wasn't, the team could have gone 4-8 and he would have come back.

As for the Internet nation, the sports-talk screamers and the nonstop bloggers who have been lusting for Carr's head, calling him archaic, past his prime, beneath the task, if you are celebrating today's announcement, I can only tell you this: Be careful what you wish for. Take a look at other programs that have been chasing national championships, the hot coach of the moment. Look at Nebraska. Look at LSU. Look at Miami (Fla.). Is that what you want? One great year or else? A coach who uses you and then jumps someplace better? Is college football only about a national title? Is it only about the noise and complaining when you don't beat your rival?

Lloyd Carr may not have won every game, but he was loyal to this program, adamant about keeping it honorable, devoted to the players and intent on creating the finest team he could. That intensity resulted in a national championship, a bushel of Big Ten titles, a 121-40 record and a .752 winning percentage, ranking him seventh among active coaches, and trailing only Schembechler (194-48-5) and Fielding H. Yost (165-29-10) in career victories at Michigan. As for what has he done for you lately? Well. As late as one year ago, Michigan was 11-0 and No. 2 in the nation. You almost forget that in the instant gratification world we've created. Maybe that's part of why Carr is getting out.

Let's go. It's not that hard.

An amazing legacy

Today, I'm sure, Carr will elaborate on his reasons, his memories, his plans. He will be asked about who coaches next in Ann Arbor, and that will be debated and will become the next hot topic, because we don't pause long on nostalgia anymore.

But in anticipation of what we will hear today, let's end with something we heard a few months ago. This was when Michigan fell to 0-2, after being a preseason top-five pick. People were bailing on the program. Fans were calling for Carr's head. The season was already, in many people's minds, a bust.

But not to Carr. He stood tall. He answered questions patiently. Then someone in the news conference asked how he was handling the criticism and the rumors he might be fired. Carr paused, then spoke about a kid named Peter who had sent him a short note of encouragement. And through the cameras and the microphones, he answered that kid:

"I'm doing great," he said. "I've got great kids here. And you don't know me. But those who do know me, friend and foe, I think would agree that I'm a tough-minded, competitive guy. And there isn't anything that comes my way that I can't handle, professionally. And there is nothing, there is nothing that can keep me down. Not a loss to Appalachian State, not a loss to Oregon. Not a hundred losses. And not the loss of my job. ...

"You're probably going to lose a lot of games the next few years. And my advice to you is when you lose, don't make excuses, don't blame your coaches or teammates or the officials. Just play every day as hard as you can. And regardless of what the outcome of those games are, you keep your head high. Because if you're doing everything you can to the best of your ability, you have nothing -- nothing -- to be embarrassed about."

Then he looked at the media and said, "That's all I got for you."

And he left.

And Michigan won its next eight games.

Say good-bye to the good guy, maybe the last of them. In an Ann Arbor autumn where losses were a familiar topic, this is the biggest loss of them all.

Well guys, it's official. I've been sitting here for the last 20 minutes watching the Lloyd Carr press conference announcing his retirement. Class guy and great human. I've had my issues w/ Lloyd over the years, but I'm not going to berate him today. There were a number of articles to choose from, but I picked Mitch Albom's to post. It sums up the man pretty good.

Best of luck in your future Lloyd. You will be missed.

Quote:

BY MITCH ALBOM

FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

He knew the whole time Saturday, knew the moment he took the field, knew the moment he walked off it, knew the moment he came in for his last crowded postgame media session on the campus that he loved for the team he adored. His departure was already set, even if it was still a secret, and as he stood there you'd think all that "last-time-I-do-this" stuff might have rendered him emotional, choked him up, revealed itself in a quivering voice or moistened eyes.

Instead, Lloyd Carr, after the disappointing, season-ending loss to Ohio State, stepped to the podium and said, "Questions?" and the group of reporters was slow to begin, so there was a gap of silence, to which Carr said, "No questions? Thank you" and faked a departure, and everyone laughed.

Then he stepped up and said these two sentences:

"Let's go. It's not that hard."

In the end, it really wasn't that hard. Not to go. Not for Lloyd Carr. He has never been defined by his job and he never will be. When enough is enough, few people will know it better than this introspective, 62-year-old football version of a Jimmy Stewart character. Stewart was always about the good beneath whatever role he played, and Carr was, too. Michigan will lose a whistle today when his retirement, after 28 years at Michigan and 13 seasons as head coach, is made official this morning. But what Carr wore around his neck was never as important as what he carried in his chest.

Say good-bye to the good guy, maybe the last of them. Whoever coaches Michigan next will have to be more about business than Carr was, more about national titles, less about hospital visits, more about recruiting, less about philosophy. It is just the way the world works, and the world has moved quickly on Carr. In recent years, you could see the weariness showing on his face, in his jowls, in his eyes, which became steelier and angrier as the silliness grew in college football.

Remember, this is a guy who started in Ann Arbor in 1980, when ESPN was just a Connecticut cable experiment. In his time, he has seen the Big Ten grow to 11, the Rose Bowl go from Granddaddy to group member, and the goal of college football go from playing on Jan. 1 to playing on Jan. 7.

Carr has been adaptable, but he is not a chameleon. He is not a guy to change his colors. He has been maize and blue and he'll retire maize and blue and he'll be loyal, always, to maize and blue. But it's time, for him, to see the rest of the rainbow.

The pressures of the sport

"I think Lloyd's gonna give it up. I think he's had it."

You know who told me that? Bo Schembechler, several years ago. I never mentioned it. Never told Carr. But clearly, the idea of leaving didn't just flash across Carr's brain. He has considered it before. Remember, he was part of the Schembechler line, but he was not a clone. Bo would have coached until the day he died if the doctors had let him. Lloyd wants to do some living before doctors become an issue. The daily drain of coaching a major football program, the pressure, the alumni, the media, the scrutiny, is like opening a faucet on your life force. Carr has likely had enough.

But let's be clear. This is not about Ohio State. This is not about Jim Tressel. This is not about losing six of the last seven to the Buckeyes. And this is not about this season's 8-4 record.

Carr is above all that. He gets the Big Picture. If he was leaving this year, he was leaving at 8-4, 10-2 or 12-0. If he wasn't, the team could have gone 4-8 and he would have come back.

As for the Internet nation, the sports-talk screamers and the nonstop bloggers who have been lusting for Carr's head, calling him archaic, past his prime, beneath the task, if you are celebrating today's announcement, I can only tell you this: Be careful what you wish for. Take a look at other programs that have been chasing national championships, the hot coach of the moment. Look at Nebraska. Look at LSU. Look at Miami (Fla.). Is that what you want? One great year or else? A coach who uses you and then jumps someplace better? Is college football only about a national title? Is it only about the noise and complaining when you don't beat your rival?

Lloyd Carr may not have won every game, but he was loyal to this program, adamant about keeping it honorable, devoted to the players and intent on creating the finest team he could. That intensity resulted in a national championship, a bushel of Big Ten titles, a 121-40 record and a .752 winning percentage, ranking him seventh among active coaches, and trailing only Schembechler (194-48-5) and Fielding H. Yost (165-29-10) in career victories at Michigan. As for what has he done for you lately? Well. As late as one year ago, Michigan was 11-0 and No. 2 in the nation. You almost forget that in the instant gratification world we've created. Maybe that's part of why Carr is getting out.

Let's go. It's not that hard.

An amazing legacy

Today, I'm sure, Carr will elaborate on his reasons, his memories, his plans. He will be asked about who coaches next in Ann Arbor, and that will be debated and will become the next hot topic, because we don't pause long on nostalgia anymore.

But in anticipation of what we will hear today, let's end with something we heard a few months ago. This was when Michigan fell to 0-2, after being a preseason top-five pick. People were bailing on the program. Fans were calling for Carr's head. The season was already, in many people's minds, a bust.

But not to Carr. He stood tall. He answered questions patiently. Then someone in the news conference asked how he was handling the criticism and the rumors he might be fired. Carr paused, then spoke about a kid named Peter who had sent him a short note of encouragement. And through the cameras and the microphones, he answered that kid:

"I'm doing great," he said. "I've got great kids here. And you don't know me. But those who do know me, friend and foe, I think would agree that I'm a tough-minded, competitive guy. And there isn't anything that comes my way that I can't handle, professionally. And there is nothing, there is nothing that can keep me down. Not a loss to Appalachian State, not a loss to Oregon. Not a hundred losses. And not the loss of my job. ...

"You're probably going to lose a lot of games the next few years. And my advice to you is when you lose, don't make excuses, don't blame your coaches or teammates or the officials. Just play every day as hard as you can. And regardless of what the outcome of those games are, you keep your head high. Because if you're doing everything you can to the best of your ability, you have nothing -- nothing -- to be embarrassed about."

Then he looked at the media and said, "That's all I got for you."

And he left.

And Michigan won its next eight games.

Say good-bye to the good guy, maybe the last of them. In an Ann Arbor autumn where losses were a familiar topic, this is the biggest loss of them all.

I really liked that article. While I have had a LOT of problems with Lloyd Carr the Coach, I have always respected Lloyd Carr the person. I have never had any issues with him in his off field persona.

My biggest issue with Carr as a coach is that the only thing he lacked was the killer instinct. He coached NOT to lose. I want the next coach to go for the jugular. And when the other team begins to wobble, go for the kill shot.

I want a defense that is going to come out and punch the other team in the nose. And once the other team is bloodied, I want our defense to kick them in the nuts.

Carr lost several important games because he refused to go for the kill shot and put the other team away. Not to mention that in 13 years as HC, he never figured out how to defend against the option offense.

Lloyd Carr's last game as coach will be against Florida in the Capital One Bowl on New Year's Day. It would be nice to send him out with a win, but I just don't see it happening. Michigan has always had problems with running QBs, so Tim Tebow ought to eat them alive.

_________________

December 3rd, 2007, 11:18 am

TADOne

Play by Play Announcer - Al Michaels

Joined: April 27th, 2005, 3:26 pmPosts: 1776

I agree, Sly. Tebow and the Florida offense will probably have a field day w/ our defense. Henne and Hart are expected to be healthy though, so I think the game may turn into a shootout of sorts.

_________________Regards,

Tim

December 3rd, 2007, 11:37 am

steensn

RIP Killer

Joined: June 26th, 2006, 1:03 pmPosts: 13429

Looks like UofM nad tOSU is going to have a pretty tough bowl game, good luck to both teams, they'll both need a lot of it.

Well, Lloyd Carr's final game is only hours away. Of course, I'm going to watch it, but I hope it's a competitive game. Unfortunately, I can't see Michigan stopping Tebow and the Gator offense, so it could end up being a long day.

_________________

January 1st, 2008, 9:34 am

TADOne

Play by Play Announcer - Al Michaels

Joined: April 27th, 2005, 3:26 pmPosts: 1776

Sly, I actually had a dream last night and UM beat Florida in a high scoring game, like 62-56 or something. Of course it was New Years and I went to bed slightly drunk, so it probably doesn't mean much

Either way, I think Hart, Henne, and Manningham will have a big day.

GO BLUE!

_________________Regards,

Tim

January 1st, 2008, 1:20 pm

LionsFan98

Stadium Announcer

Joined: July 6th, 2007, 1:39 amPosts: 81Location: Hawaii

Congrats Lloyd... Thanks for the awesome memories! We came to play and crushed them! Go Blue!

_________________John 3:16

January 1st, 2008, 6:00 pm

inheritedlionsfan

Team MVP

Joined: January 13th, 2006, 4:18 amPosts: 3347Location: Maryland

Where was this team all season??

What a way to send Carr off. Florida got Tebowed!! Hail to the Victors!

January 1st, 2008, 6:21 pm

TADOne

Play by Play Announcer - Al Michaels

Joined: April 27th, 2005, 3:26 pmPosts: 1776

It's pretty impressive to see how this offense would have performed if they would have been healthy all season. If not for the 2 Mike Hart fumbles on the 1 yard line, this game would have been a blow out. We woulda had 55 pts with those 2 scores!

Ron English's D was impressive. Percy Harvin had a big game, but we basically bottled up Tebow. English actually had a good game plan against a running QB and a spread offense. He blitzed Tebow more than 50% in the game and knocked him to the ground more times than I can count.

It was great to see Lloyd carried off the field on the shoulders of his players. Thanks for everything Lloyd.